Bickford Smith Lawn Bowling Club

Lawn bowling might not sound like the most thrilling way to spend an afternoon, but Bickford Smith in Redruth is genuinely worth a look if you fancy something low-key and properly social. It's a working bowling club with immaculate greens - the kind of place where locals have been rolling woods for decades and everyone knows each other's technique.

You can rock up and have a go yourself, though it's worth ringing ahead to check what visitors are welcome and when. The greens are beautifully maintained, and there's something oddly meditative about the whole thing - it's quiet, requires concentration, and you'll definitely meet people. It's not a spectator sport unless you're into watching technique, so come ready to participate.

Families with older kids might enjoy it more than young ones - it's not a patch-up-your-kids-for-an-hour sort of place. But if you're staying at Lanyon Holiday Park just down the road, or any of the other caravan sites dotted around Redruth, it's a nice way to get out and do something different. Costs are modest and a session won't take more than ninety minutes or so.

Redruth itself isn't Cornwall's prettiest town, but it's got character - proper mining country - and the bowling club gives you a genuine local experience rather than the tourist trail stuff. Worth adding to a broader Cornish itinerary if you've got time and you're not the type who needs constant entertainment.